utilitarianism
noun
util·i·tar·i·an·ism
(ˌ)yü-ˌti-lə-ˈter-ē-ə-ˌni-zəm 
1
: a doctrine that the useful is the good and that the determining consideration of right conduct should be the usefulness of its consequences
specifically
: a theory that the aim of action should be the largest possible balance of pleasure over pain or the greatest happiness of the greatest number
2
: utilitarian character, spirit, or quality
Examples of utilitarianism in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Their divinity is some form of very strict utilitarianism.
—
Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
Yet thinking through the architecture of Hotel Cambridge and 9 de Julho beyond such utilitarianism reveals another significant set of parallels and differences between Los Angeles and São Paulo.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
The offering draws from the Bauhaus school’s philosophy, focusing on geometric discipline and utilitarianism.
—Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
The bombings were not, as many armchair critics have argued over the decades, a cheap form of ethical utilitarianism; Truman's decision to bomb was simply reflective of how real war-and-peace decisions must be made in the heat of the moment, when the stakes are the highest.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for utilitarianism
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Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2026
Yet thinking through the architecture of Hotel Cambridge and 9 de Julho beyond such utilitarianism reveals another significant set of parallels and differences between Los Angeles and São Paulo.
—Michaëla De Lacaze Mohrmann, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026
The offering draws from the Bauhaus school’s philosophy, focusing on geometric discipline and utilitarianism.
—Renan Botelho, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
The bombings were not, as many armchair critics have argued over the decades, a cheap form of ethical utilitarianism; Truman's decision to bomb was simply reflective of how real war-and-peace decisions must be made in the heat of the moment, when the stakes are the highest.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for utilitarianism
Cite this Entry
“Utilitarianism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/utilitarianism. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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